OSHA Cites Concrete Pipe Manufacturer Following Young Worker's Death
The company was hit with $245,546 in proposed penalties.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Sep 25, 2023
Newnan, Georgia-based Foley Products Company LLC—which specializes in concrete pipe manufacturing—now faces severe scrutiny over OSHA safety violations.
In a release dated Sept. 20, OSHA revealed findings from its investigation into the tragic death of a 19-year-old worker at the company’s worksite in Cantonment, Florida. In March 2023, two workers entered the concrete mixer to use a hammer and chisel to chip away hardened concrete. When one worker left, the machine restarted while the other worker was still.
Foley Products Company has been cited for one willful violation and six serious violations, amounting to $245,546 in proposed penalties. OSHA determined the company willfully neglected to ensure workers followed energy-control procedures and training.
Additionally, Foley Products Company exposed its employees to dangers in confined spaces and failed to confirm a safe environment within the mixer before workers enter as well as a process to safely retrieve workers if necessary.
“Foley Products Company’s failure to implement well-known safeguards cost the life of a worker just beginning their adulthood,” OSHA Area Office Director Jose A. Gonzalez in Mobile, Alabama, said in a statement. “This preventable tragedy should serve as a reminder of the importance of complying with safety and health standards, as required by law.”
Foley Products Company now has 15 business days to either comply, initiate an informal dialogue with OSHA, or challenge the agency’s findings. At the time of the incident, 30 employees worked under at the Florida location. Overall, Foley Products Company employs around 500 workers across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.